Piano-casing.



H. POHLM ANN.

Patented Apr. 18, 19-11.

v 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. POHLMANN.

PIANO CASING.

} APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1910. r 990,062. v Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTOHNE Y8 l 1m: NpRRls PETERS co., wasmucrou, o. c.

HENRY POHLMANN,

FATENT FTC OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PIANO-CASING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

1910. Serial No. 559,738.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY POI-ILMANN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Piano-Casing, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved piano casing, in which the keybed and keys held thereon can be readily removed from the piano frame, to allow of conveniently moving the piano in sections from one place to another, especially along narrow halls or up and down narrow stair-ways, etc. For the purpose mentioned, use is made of a removable keybed carrying keys and a back rail fixed on the casing for the rear ends of the keys to rest on.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of the piano; and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

The piano casing A contains the action B, the plate C, carrying the strings D and the sounding board E, the said plate G and the sounding board E being secured in the usual manner to the frame F. The keys G for actuating the action B are mounted on a keybed H, provided at the sides with rearwardly-extending arms H, removably secured by screws I or other fastening devices to the sides of the piano casing A, so that the said keybed H and the keys G carried there on can be removed from the piano casing whenever it is desired to move the piano in sections from one place to another. The rear ends of the keys G are adapted to rest on a back rail J, secured to the sides of the piano casing A, and the said back rail J also forms a support for the frame B of the action B, the said action frame B being for this purpose provided with downward forked extensions B seated on pins J attached to the back rail J near the sides thereof. The back rail is preferably formed of an angle iron bar, attached at its ends by means of brackets J to the sides of the piano casing A, and on the horizontal top member of the said angle iron bar is secured astrip of wood having a felted top for the 1 rear ends of the keys to rest on, as plainly indicated in Fig. 2. The fallboard K is mounted on the keybed H, so that when the screws 1 are removed, then the keybed H can be removed from the piano and with it the keys G and the fallboard K, as will be readily understood by reference to the dotted lines shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The keybed H is or may be detachably supported at the sides by the usual piano legs L, forming a fixed or detachable part of the piano casing A.

It is understood that when the keybed H and the parts carried thereon are removed from the rest of the piano, the two sections of the piano can then be conveniently moved up or down stairs or from one place to another, neither of the sections being cumbersome.

It is expressly understood that by the arrangement described, the piano action remains in position in the casing, and in case of player pianos the bellows and trap work likewise remain in place and only the keybed with the keys thereon and the legs are removable, as above described.

In player pianos, the casing A is provided between its sides with a board N for supporting the bellows and trap work, so that the bellows and trap work remain in position when the keyboard is removed, as above described. The board or support N is located intermediate the rear edge of the keybed H and the back rail J, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

It is understood that when the keybed is withdrawn the keys are relieved of the abstracts of the piano action, which abstracts normally hold the keys down at their rear ends, and as the forward portions of the keys overbalance the rear portions it is evident that on. the withdrawal of the keybed and keys the front ends of the keys swing downward. In replacing the keybed and keys the operator presses the damper pedal to raise the abstracts sufficiently for the rear ends of the keys to pass under the abstracts, after which the damper pedal is released to allow the abstracts to move downward into engagement with the keys to swing the rear ends thereof downward and to raise the front ends of the keys into position for playing. Thus by the arrangement described, the keybed and keys can be removed from the piano without requiring removal of the piano action.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A piano provided with a removable key bed carrying the keys, and a fixed back rail separate from the said key bed and forming a seat for the rear ends of the keys to rest on.

2, A piano provided with a casing, a back rail secured thereon, and a keybed carrying the keys and removabiy secured to the said piano casing, the rear ends of the said keys resting on the said back rail.

A piano, provided with a casing, a back rail secured to the said piano casing and forming support for the action and forming a seat for the rear ends of the keys, and a keybed carryii'ig the t'ulcrums for the keys and having rearwardly-extending side arms for removable attachment to the piano casing.

1 A piano, comprising a casing a piano action, a keybed carrying the keys and reniovabiy attached to the piano casing, and a fixed back raii in the said piano casing foriniir a seat for the rear ends 01 the keys to rest on.

in testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY POHLMANN.

Witnesses EITGENE Hrrcsnmm, CHARLES PonLMANN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). G. 

